This invention relates to a biopsy forceps and, more specifically, to a biopsy forceps capable of obtaining multiple tissue samples in a single passage through an endoscope.
Gastroenterologists, surgeons, and other physicians commonly obtain tissue samples for biopsy when examining interior parts of the body using an endoscope. Modern endoscopes are usually flexible instruments comprising a fiber optic viewing system and a tubular channel through which biopsy forceps can be passed to obtain the samples. Some prior art biopsy forceps are designed to obtain a single small piece of tissue on each passage through the endoscope. Such single pass forceps, however, are time consuming to use since clinicians frequently require multiple biopsies of a diseased area in order to gather adequate pathological or other scientific information. The instrument must be passed in and out of the endoscope for each biopsy specimen.
In my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,102, I disclosed an endoscopic multiple biopsy forceps in which specimen-taking jaws were operated independently of a central specimen transfixing stylet or wire. I have now devised a multiple biopsy forceps in which the jaws and stylet cooperate to obtain and retain the multiple tissue specimens with a simplified operation.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a biopsy forceps for obtaining multiple tissue specimens of an organ through a biopsy channel of an endoscope. The biopsy forceps comprises a tubular body, a tubular housing, a central wire, a set of jaws, and an activating handle. The tubular body has a length and an outside diameter for passage through the biopsy channel. The tubular housing is affixed to the tubular body or forms the distal end of the tubular body. A central wire is disposed in the tubular body with the distal end of the central wire extending through the tubular housing. The distal end of the central wire has a barbed spike for penetrating tissue. A set of jaws is cooperatively mounted to the distal end of the central wire. A proximal activating handle displaces the central wire such that as the distal end of the central wire is drawn toward the tubular housing, the tubular housing forces the jaws to close. A space is provided between the wire and the jaws for retaining multiple tissue specimens transfixed by the wire.
Another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method for obtaining multiple tissue biopsies of an organ through an endoscope with the above-mentioned forceps. The endoscope has a biopsy channel and is inserted to visualize an area to be biopsied. The biopsy forceps are inserted through the biopsy channel. The barbed spike of the central wire is placed in penetrating contact with the tissue to be biopsied. The central wire is withdrawn into the tubular housing, which forces the jaws to grasp a sample of the tissue to be biopsied. The grasped tissue is retained on the central wire in the space between the jaws and the wire. The same steps are repeated to sequentially collect tissue samples in the space along the central wire. Withdrawing the biopsy forceps from the biopsy channel retrieves the tissue samples.